Some Random Updates

Here's some updates from news around the Schnittker house over the last couple weeks.

Our cat had kittens on Easter Sunday.  Kittens are doing well. 

 Here's mama kitty taking a break from her demanding kittens.

 

The weather has been warm so everything is blooming and growing.  Our blackberry bush is blooming with white flowers.   This particular bush is grown from a cutting that came from my Grandfather's house.  My kids are probably the 5th generation to get berries from it.

 

Kids have been spending time outside.  Brandon has been practicing riding a large 26 inch bicycle.  He only started riding a bike a few weeks ago. 

 

Emily has been practicing the drums.  Here she is at Guitar Center.  The kids love going to Guitar Center because they get to play the instruments but Ben loves it the most.  Ben plays the drums, guitars and keyboards/pianos while he is there.

 Sarah recently played Penny in her school's production of "Urinetown".  She did a great job. Here she is on stage with her fellow classmates.

She also had her Junior prom on May 8th. 

 We are heading to the Grand Canyon next.  We'll have more updates soon.

Ships To Visit In Long Beach

We headed down to Long Beach, Ca to visit some of the historic ships; Battleship Iowa,  The Queen Mary,  and  Scorpion, a Russian Submarine.

Battleship Iowa

USS Iowa BB-61 was launched in 1942 and participated in WW2.

The 5 Inch guns were capable of firing 15 rounds per minute.

The bridge contains a 17 inch thick armored conning tower. This protected the helmsman and commanding officers.  

There was also an armored admiral's bridge where the admiral could exercise strategic control of several ships.

The tour includes the captain quarters were a bathtub was installed for president Roosevelt. The president traveled on the ship on his way to and from the historic Teheran Conference in 1943.

We enjoyed exploring the many different parts of the ship.

The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary was launched in 1936.  She also participated in WW2 as a troop transport.  She was a luxury passenger liner until 1967 and is now a hotel.

The inside is a marvel of Art Deco splendor.

Russian Submarine

Next to the Queen Mary is a Russian Foxtrot Class Submarine named Scorpion.

 Radio Room.

Kids really enjoyed the periscope.

Fire Torpedoes!

Working in cramped quarters.

 Sonar Room

A Visit To Construction 129

While visiting  San Francisco, we drove over to Construction 129, a WW2 era fortress that was never fully completed. It's now a park where you can tour what would have been the highest artillery battery in the bay area.

After walking through the tunnel, you arrive at one of the gun placements. This was to be the mounting place for one of the two 16 inch guns.

We then walked up the hill to the mountaintop above the bunker.  The views are stunning.

There are also lookouts and more placements for smaller guns.

You can see down to the parking area.  It was full the entire time we were there with many waiting for a space.

Some of the fortress is underground and not accessible to the public, but there is still lots to see. Here's an old plan showing some of the under ground area you can not access.  Though, the main large tunnels to the guns are open.

A Visit To Casa De Fruta

When traveling from Los Angeles to San Jose, the quickest route is to travel up the 5 freeway and then cross over to the 101 freeway at San Luis Reservoir (Highway 152) and take the Pacheco Pass.  It's a scenic drive and a nice break from the monotony of Interstate 5. When taking this route, there is a nice stop along the way at Casa De Fruta.

Although not a quick stop, it's nice if you want to take a break, have a snack, and walk around for a while.  There's a playground for the kids with plenty of things to climb on.

If you don't mind spending a few dollars, there is also a train and carousesl to ride.

If you just want to walk and stretch, there's a nice pond with peacocks and ducks wandering around. 

Of course, if you are looking for a snack, there are multiple shops with fruits, wine, chocolate, and coffee.  I found the prices to be a bit high, but that comes with the territory on theses tourist spots.  Here Ben and Hanna picking out some pineapple. 

Hanna liked the old truck.

Sarah and Emily picked out dried apples and Kiwi. 

Once you have found our favorite munches, there are tables outside to sit and snack. Once everyone had time to much we headed back on our way.